Where once there were three or four solid options for anyone looking to upgrade or switch dispatch system provider, all that has changed in the blink of an eye.

At a time when your dispatch system is more important than ever to the future of your business, the reality is that your options are even more limited once you look beyond the sales and marketing blurb and dig deeper to find out what it means to be a customer of that provider.

What choice of dispatch system? Where to from here…

Option 1 – Failing/Unsupported Dispatch System

Some major players in the market have been struggling, with many of their customers telling us about chronic operational issues and lack of support.

Amongst the major issues reported are lack of system updates, upgrades and bug fixes, leaving users with a system that holds their business back and frustrates drivers and staff.

In addition, when trying to get support, customers have said that the support network has simply crumbled, with calls not being answered, emails left unacknowledged and problems simply not fixed.

Numerous customers have told us of major problems with both the driver and customer apps, costing them business and leaving them hugely frustrated.

Option 2 – Autocab/Uber

Autocab has been in the news recently, having announced its buyout by taxi business enemy number one, Uber.

This move has shocked the industry and left many wondering how it could not lead to a conflict of interest, and the potential for Uber to use this as a way to enter more local markets – skimming rides, driving down fares and getting a ‘take’.

Many current customers have rightly voiced their concerns over what this move means for their independence, ownership of customers and data, driver relationships, margins and more.

In September’s PHTM, a feature looking at the Autocab/Uber deal raises a number of key questions including…

• Could Uber go after an operator’s own data?
• How can Uber compete against Autocab’s operators in one city and partner with them in another?
• Could Uber use Autocab’s network as a ‘trojan horse’ to launch its own operations in each town or city?
• How can Autocab be run truly independently from Uber?

All these are very valid questions and pose real concern for anyone currently using this dispatch system or thinking of switching to them in the future.

Do you take the risk that everything will work out, or do you look for another, independent dispatch system provider?

Option 3 – iCabbi

The third option available to taxi businesses looking for a high quality, reliable and independent dispatch system, is iCabbi.

Already part owned by Renault (who have a major interest in selling vehicles and not the taxi business directly) means that there is no threat that could impact your business in the same way that Uber’s move has.

What’s more, many of the issues faced by customers of failing and unsupported dispatch systems, are in fact the key strengths of iCabbi’s dispatch system…

1. UK Based Support – our support team are all right here in the UK, based at our Head Office in Mansfield, which means you’ll always speak to a Support Specialist who knows the system inside and out and can help provide the right support quickly and without fuss.

2. Always Here – because your business is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, our support is too, meaning whatever the issue, and whatever time of day or night you need us, you’ll get a friendly voice, and expert knowledge, to help you get back up and running as soon as possible.

3. Updates, Upgrades and Fixes – the development of our system is a constant, even during the very challenging times we are facing. This means that you can expect regular new features, upgrades to existing ones and fixes to issues that have been raised, ensuring your system helps your business thrive, especially when things get tough.

4. Reliable, Feature Packed Apps – both our customer and driver apps are loved by our customers, and through a combination of our continual development and 24/7 support, they remain extremely reliable and up-to-date, helping our customers win and retain more new business as well as and keeping their drivers happy and loyal.

5. Secure and Stable – iCabbi’s system is fully cloud-based, built on Amazon’s AWS platform, which means it’s ‘always on’, extremely reliable, and very secure, allowing you to focus all your efforts on your business without worrying about your dispatch system.

It also means that you and your dispatchers can access it from anywhere you have an internet connection. Perfect given the current situation.

Is there really a choice?

The risks associated with a poor and failing dispatch system, or a system newly owned by enemy number one, are just too great to ignore.

So, when it comes to choosing a taxi dispatch system that will fully support your business, help it grow and thrive, even in the very challenging situation we find ourselves right now, there may only be one option for a truly bright future.

To find out more about iCabbi, and to Free Demonstration, call us on 01623 44 22 11, email us, or contact us via our website.

The post You Have Three Options… Which Dispatch System is the Right Way Ahead? first appeared on iCabbi UK.

Full details are hard to come by, but needless to say there is considerable alarm in the Private Hire community about the implications of Uber taking ownership of a dispatch system that runs hundreds of Private Hire fleets across the UK.

This news raises some very big questions about independence, ownership of passengers and data, driver relationships, margins, motives and much more.

Here is a sample of questions being asked by Autocab operators and taxi firm owners today…

1. Anti-Competition – For many Private Hire Operators, Uber has long been the enemy. Now they will own a dispatch system provider that is used by businesses competing against Uber.

Is that a conflict of interest or even potentially a way to remove a competitor from the marketplace? The BBC has already contacted the Competition and Markets Authority for comment.

2. Compulsory Booking Aggregator – With Autocab being owned by Uber, does that mean that every Autocab customer will now be compelled to join a new booking aggregator – Uber?

3. Booking Fees – Booking aggregators take a share of fares; that’s their business model. Uber typically rakes 25% off the top of a fare from its drivers, so how much will they keep from fares booked through Uber but “given” to Autocab drivers?

Passengers in an area where Uber doesn’t operate simply search for a cab company in that area so those drivers keep 100%. Those same passengers will now be able to book with Uber (because Autocab fleets are automatically available?).

Does this mean that your drivers are now 25% worse off and you have just lined Uber’s pockets?

4. Retaining Drivers – You have spent enormous time, effort, and money to build your business and your fleet. Will drivers become so used to working with Uber that they see moving to them as a natural step in the future?

5. Data Acquisition – It takes a lot of investment and time to build a passenger base that, until now, Autocab customers have fought fiercely to protect.

Will Uber have automatic access to this data now that they own Autocab, meaning they will know everything they need to in order to decide when to move into your area in direct competition with you, including the information required to market to your passengers?

6. Passenger App – Private Hire operators want their passengers to sign up for their Passenger App to protect their business and build customer loyalty.

Will customers now use Uber instead of a firm’s own passenger app? Will this eat away at your hard-won customer base?

7. “Unfair” Offers to Win Passengers – Let’s not beat about the bush, Uber have lost £billions with their “whatever it takes” policies, which have caused controversy all over the world.

How will Autocab fleets be able to compete with passenger offers that happily lose money just to “buy their custom”?

8. Uber Just Out for Themselves – in Autocab’s own literature, they said this about Uber’s rise:

“Uber have made quite a few enemies, upset entire cities and burnt through a tremendous amount of cash with some very cavalier business practices and sometimes blatant disregard for both governments and people who attempt to stand in their way.” *

9. What Exactly Has Autocab Sold? – Uber and Autocab have both been very sketchy on the details. They appear to be withholding vital information from Autocab fleets, the industry, and the public. Therefore, one of the biggest questions is surely “What exactly have Uber been sold?”.

What might Autocab customers have had traded away to Uber as part of the deal? Their data? Their customer app? Their individual pricing? Their drivers? Their independence?

10. A Deal With the Devil? – At this stage at least, can anyone objectively come up with any way this could turn out to be beneficial in the long term for independent Private Hire Operators?

These are no doubt just a handful of the many questions Autocab customers will have right now.

Another Future?

If you are an Autocab customer who is alarmed, angry, or disappointed by the whole situation, maybe we can offer you another future?

At iCabbi, we are 100% behind independent Private Hire firms and Fleet Operators, and our dispatch system supports those that choose to operate their business that way, without the potential interference and conflict of a direct competitor.

So, if you simply cannot see a future with Uber/Autocab, contact us to chat about joining the iCabbi family.

Our friendly team are here to answer any questions you may have, and our dedicated switching team are on standby to help you move quickly and hassle-free.

Call us on 01623 44 22 11, email us, or contact us via our website.

*Combating Uber – A guide for private hire taxi firms & drivers – Hassan Abod.

The post What Does the Uber/Autocab Buyout Mean for Private Hire Operators? first appeared on iCabbi UK.

Whilst the specific answer we get definitely varies from business to business, the overriding theme is nearly always about becoming more efficient.

That is, of course, a very good reason to invest in a new dispatch system but it’s just one of many benefits you get when you choose a marketing leading system like iCabbi.

Here are some more:

1. Winning new customers

When it comes to taxi and private hire businesses, winning new customers is all about giving them as many ways to book with you as possible.

Many customer still like to phone, but increasingly customers are turning to smartphone apps, as well as booking online through your website.

By using a dispatch system that provides you with a great customer app and a web booking service, you’ll win new customers who prefer to book using those methods.

2. Keeping your customers happy

If you don’t provide booking options for your customers, they could start using a competitor who does.

A great dispatch system gives you the automation tools you need to defend your customers from the competition and protect your profits.

Here are the key features to look out for…

• Customer App – a great customer app (there are poor apps out there) stops your customers from going to a competitor.
• Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Phone System – this allows customers to manage their booking through your automated phone system quickly and easily. Some customers still like to speak to an operator (they can), many now prefer using the automated system.
• Web Booker – your customers can book with you through their PC or mobile device (if they don’t yet have your app).

3. Happy, busy drivers

There’s nothing worse than losing drivers, but with a dispatch system like iCabbi, you keep your drivers happy, busy and profitable. They’ll stay because of…

• Automated Assignment – ensures your drivers know they are treated fairly and that everyone gets a share of the lucrative jobs.
• Automated Dispatch – reduces the aggravation of dead mileage by getting bookings to the right driver.
• Cashiering – integrated cashiering solutions to ensure your drivers are paid on time. Paid drivers are happy drivers!
• Reliable GPS – gets your drivers to the exact location of their passenger on time and without loss of signal or strange directions that cause stressful delays.

4. Recruiting new drivers

All drivers want to drive for a successful, profitable firm where they are respected, treated fairly and have high earning potential.

So, when it comes to new driver recruitment, having a system like iCabbi in your corner gives you a significant advantage over your competitors, as it provides your drivers with all the tools they need to maximise their earnings and feel valued.

What’s more, there’s a good chance you’ll attract the best drivers that help enhance your customer reputation simply because they know your dispatch system will make their future better.

5. Uber-proofing your business

Uber is everywhere now and without the right tools to fight back, you could lose new and existing customers and take a real hit to your growth and profitability.

Happily, a dispatch system like iCabbi provides you with all you need to ‘Uber-proof’ your business…

• More Booking Options – customers love choice and they want to book with you in the way that they feel is most convenient. By allowing them to call you, book via your website or through a great smartphone app, you’ll beat them in the personal service and convenience stakes.
• Great Tech Means Happy Drivers – having the right technology in place helps you keep drivers loyal to you. A reliable, easy to use and fair driver app is key to making sure they are kept busy, happy and most importantly, earning at the right level.
• Higher Earning Drivers – Uber takes 25% of a drivers earnings. When you do the maths, a driver with a typical private hire firm can be up to £275 per week better off, that’s over £10,000 per year. When you educate your drivers and give them a great dispatch system it reduces the temptation to drive for Uber.
• New Income Streams – the best dispatch systems can integrate directly with up and coming services like Taxi Butler. This is an ingenious single click device that orders taxis in busy locations such as pubs, bars and hotels, allowing you to win new business.

More efficient, more profitable, more flexible… 

Along with increased efficiency, the right dispatch system will also give you the ability to become more profitable with features designed to help win and keep customers, attract and keep drivers and your overall daily business operation.

To discover the many features offered by iCabbi, why not Free Demonstration

Or if you have questions, please call us now on 01623 44 22 11 or send us an email and we’ll get back to you.

The post There’s Much More to a Great Dispatch System than Improved Efficiency… first appeared on iCabbi UK.

But it’s not just your customers that Uber is trying to tempt away from you, it’s also your drivers.

Your drivers see it as a way to make some extra cash, but if they are operating ‘off the clock’ it can impact on the service your business is able to offer and they are competing for your customers.

The good news is that there are some great ways to help your drivers resist temptation.

Here are our top tips for keeping your drivers off Uber…

Have your drivers done the MATHS?

Uber take 25% of the driver’s earnings and it is well-known that driver earnings are automatically provided by Uber to HMRC.

But do your drivers know that? And have you helped them do the maths?

Let’s look at some examples that you can share with your drivers to show how much they stand to lose working with Uber compared to working with you…

Obviously, we don’t know your radio rent/circuit fee (it may be more or less than the £100 shown above) but none-the-less you can quickly see that a driver is much worse off working for Uber.

And remember that in the above examples Uber is declaring the driver’s earnings to the tax man. The driver declares their own earnings when they work for you.

Communication is everything!

Don’t assume that your drivers have done the maths. Use the ‘maths’ to show them how much they stand to lose if they work for Uber.

Price Surcharges – Making it Work for Your Drivers

One other way that drivers who work for Uber lose out is with Price Surcharging – where Uber increase the fare dependent upon availability and demand and don’t pass any benefit on to the driver.

We also know that passengers hate it (for obvious reasons).

But did you know that the ability to introduce a modest surcharge that you can share with your drivers is easy in a modern booking and dispatch system such as iCabbi?

Naturally, we would just suggest you do this in a much more passenger friendly way than trebling the fare as Uber sometimes do!

For example, have you considered simply adding a small surcharge (even as low as a £1) to your bookings on a Saturday night between 6pm and 2am?

Assuming a driver works these 8 hours and does 3 jobs per hour that’s £24 extra for them and research shows that passengers don’t complain about small amounts on a Saturday.

That could be an extra £100 per month for your drivers!

We suggest that you experiment with this idea to delight your drivers without losing customers.

Reduce the Uber Temptation with Technology

The good news for you is that utilising ‘Uber-like’ technology such as iCabbi helps keep your drivers busy and happy.

With your drivers benefiting from the extra work that flows from your iCabbi customer app, your IVR (Interactive Voice Response) phone booking system and your web booker – they will be less likely to be tempted to try Uber.

Busy drivers, with a ‘fair share’ of the work are happy drivers.

All you need to do is to make sure you use all of the iCabbi tools at your disposal to maximise work for your drivers and to ‘communicate’ with drivers so that they know how much it will cost them to work with Uber.

Doing this means that they stay with you, and that they talk to other drivers who will then be attracted to your thriving business.

That’s good news for you, and your customers!

To discover how you can recruit and retain more high quality drivers, request our free guide – “How to Recruit and Retain More Drivers – The Top 10 Things You Need to Know” by clicking here.

If you have any questions or need more information you can speak to one of the iCabbi UK team based in our Mansfield office. You can call us on 01623 44 22 11 or email enquiries@icabbi.etgl.co.uk. Our friendly team are here to help and support you.

The post How to Keep Your Drivers Off Uber… first appeared on iCabbi UK.

Offering a fast, flexible service, accessed from the user’s mobile phone, tablet or laptop, Uber is striking with crazy deals, including free cabs for referrals.

On the face of it, it might seem that Uber will completely destroy local taxi firms, but…

The arrival of Uber doesn’t have to signal the death-knell of the independent operator.

Surviving and thriving in the face of this new challenger means finding the chinks in its armour and exploiting them.

It means playing to your strengths in areas where they can’t compete and matching what they are good at.

With the right effort (and with iCabbi) it’s easier than you may think.

Here are our top tips for Uber-proofing your taxi business and forging a path ahead while others may fall by the wayside…

1. Keep it Personal

Let’s go with the low-tech strategies first.

One thing Uber simply can’t do is to provide a really personal service. It’s a top consideration for many of your customers, and it might mean more to them than you think.

Offering your customers a truly personal experience doesn’t just mean knowing their name and their typical journeys (although being familiar with your regular travellers is certainly a great asset that will already put you a step ahead of Uber!).

It also means that your customers ‘know’ you.

As a local firm, you are in the powerful position of being able to build that personal relationship with your customers. They know your drivers, and that your cars are always timely, comfortable and clean (they are, aren’t they?).

The arrival of Uber might mean that you need to up your game in terms of the personal service you offer … but it’s one battle that Uber just can’t win, as long as you’re doing it right.

These personal service examples might sound like simple common sense, but they are hugely important to your customers…

• Always addressing your customers by their name
• Promptly returning items that customers may accidentally leave in your cars
• Easily allowing your customers to change a part of a booked journey, such as the time or adding a drop off
• The familiarity with the driver who performs their regular booking.

2. Fight Tech with Tech

For some of your customers, it’s all about convenience – and that’s where Uber is cashing in.

But today it’s easier than ever for you to level that playing field – and with iCabbi you have some great tools that you can use to do the job.

Perhaps the most powerful of these is your customer “app”.

Giving customers the freedom to book with your firm using your customer app can go a long way towards winning (and keeping) customers.

While you personally may feel that your customers ‘don’t like apps’ and that they “prefer personal contact” – the stats show that when a local cab firm gives their customers the option 20% to 30% of customers quickly decide that using the app is what they prefer.

If you don’t give your customer the choice, someone else will.

And the solution that your customer turns to is highly likely to be Uber.

Fortunately, with iCabbi you have a feature rich, fully integrated customer app branded with your own business name and logo – so you have the tools to compete and win.

So the message is clear – you can defend your business against Uber (and keep your customers happy) with your iCabbi customer app.

3. The Personal Touch & Technology Combined

Of course, many people still book taxis by phone (at least, for now!).

But the way that the telephone is being used is fast changing.

When once the only option was the ability to talk to your operator, now customers can choose between an operator or IVR (Interactive Voice Response) allowing the system to ‘talk’ to your customers.

Fact: 46% of iCabbi customers book with the customer app, IVR or web booker.

Despite how much we may think our customers love to talk to us and our operators, the facts prove that a very high percentage choose to use IVR, even when they have the option to speak to a real person.

Don’t bury your head in the sand!

Fortunately for you, iCabbi gives you another way to beat Uber by offering operator, IVR or app bookings.

The more ways your customers can book a cab with your firm, the more customers you are likely to keep (and win).

4. Impress Your Customers

Uber may look “new and shiny” – and the technology is impressive.

But, with iCabbi you easily can be highly impressive as well, and in more ways than they can.

With iCabbi you already have a great customer app, IVR and web booker, which gives you the tools to defend your business against Uber.

And you can also compete with iCabbi features like ABOP (Automatic Back On Phone) which means that customers who call back after making a booking (and when it’s in progress) are automatically given up-to-the-moment information such as the driver’s name, vehicle details and wait time.

Stats show that over 90% of ‘back on the phone customers’ receive this information this way and don’t need to speak to an operator. This is a huge efficiency gain for you and an amazing experience for your customers.

So, with iCabbi you have the ability to impress your customers with the latest technology and features too.

These iCabbi technologies make a fantastic impression.

Not only by showing your customers that you’re moving with the times, but by giving them the best of both worlds – impressive technology that your customers love AND the personal touch from your local firm.

Make customers of local Bars, Clubs, Hotels, Restaurants & Workplaces your customers too!

How? Innovation has led to development of services such as Taxi Butler, an ingenious single click device that orders taxis in busy locations such as pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels and clubs.

With one click, jobs can go straight into your iCabbi booking and dispatch system. Be ready though, there are more jobs out there than you might think!

In summary, by giving your customers the ability to choose how THEY interact with you – you can be relevant to a much wider customer base.

From those who want to (and will only) use the phone, to those who are prepared to (and want to) use a great customer app, IVR, ABOP and Taxi Butler.

As an iCabbi operator, you be confident that you have the tools, systems and technology to go head-to-head with Uber, and to defend and grow your business.

It’s About Your Drivers Too

The benefits of moving with the times go much further than defending your customer base from Uber.

The sad reality is that drivers are using apps like Uber ‘on the side’.

In our next article we’ll be discussing ways to combat the temptation for your drivers to sign up with Uber. As an iCabbi client there are some very effective, yet simple things you can do to keep your drivers ‘on side’.

Is There a Silver Bullet?

In short, the answer is no.

Uber are ‘buying’ their way into the market and are providing a service that many people like, and your chances of shutting it out of your area are small.

But with iCabbi you can do a lot to keep your business relevant and up to date.

And you can do things that Uber can’t. So you can go head to head with Uber – and WIN!

Combining great personal service with great technology is your secret to success – and we believe that this two-pronged assault could see your business booming, despite Uber’s best endeavours.

If you’d like to discuss any of the points above, please call us now on 01623 44 22 11 or email us on enquiries@icabbi.etgl.co.uk.

The post How to beat Uber first appeared on iCabbi UK.